Conventionally, in stores such as supermarkets, a product code reading apparatus that image captures a code symbol such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code (for example, a QR code (registered trademark)) that is attached to a product by a digital camera such as a CCD image sensor and which reads a product code by detecting and decoding a code symbol from the captured image is used. A store clerk registers a product that a customer purchases by taking out a product that is kept in a shopping basket that the customer brings over to a counter and holding the product over the digital camera of the product code reading apparatus.
However, with the product registration of the related art described above, since a code symbol that is attached on the product is image captured, there is need for the store clerk to identify a location where the code symbol is attached when handling the product and to turn the code symbol toward the digital camera. In particular, since the location where the code symbol is attached is different for each product, there are cases when the store clerk takes time in identifying the location where the code symbol is attached.